discussion Problem with decal silvering:used Vallejo Decal Fix

[Guest]

Decaling my Apache Hasagawa. Applied 2 coats of Humbrol Clear. Usually use


water to put the things on. Which I did.


But a good amount of silvering and also the clear edges of the decal stood out


like a sore thumb.


Got out the Micro Set and Sol. Sloshed it on. Made no difference. So finished off


all the decals millions of little things.When dry tried Micro sol again and very


minimal improvement.


Then remembered I had on the shelf some Vallejo Decal Fix left there unused.


Give it a try and used it on a couple of the already fixed decals which bedded down


perfectly and the edges disappeared. But the gloss clear turned matt. Not a problem


as that can be put right with a coat of matt or gloss.


So then, as you do, thought I would read the instructions and was surprised to


find that no mention was made of a gloss coat for the decals. Tried on just flat


paint a decal using Vallejo Decal Fix. Low and behold it worked with no silvering


and the edges disappeared.


It comes in the usual Vallejo bottle squeeze a little in to a palette. It's consistency,


it is off white, is like a shampoo or soap you get out of a dispenser. Paint on area


of paint to receive the decal. Looks all gungy. Place on decal and dab away water


dry then brush on another coat . All gungy leave and it dries out perfectly. Looked


under a magnifier and you cannot see the decal edge at all. Remarkable.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Just read a larger description on the Vallejo site.


Says use their Decal medium on the paint surface and the fix on the decal when dry.


I used Decal fix for both. Do not have any Decal Medium but will let you know how this


works when I get some.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Please do, toys sounds good. When I have done a gloss coat and paint on some microset it beads up and doesn't help because the paint is so smooth

 

[Guest]

Just ordered both anyway. Always happy to try something so cheap haha

 

[colin m]

Interesting find Laurie. I look forward to the results of your tests.

 

[Guest]

Sounds an interesting find, I have just ordered some Humbrol Decal fix so I hope this is OK as its the first time I have ever used such a product, as when in my teens I just used water oh how the modeling world has changed in 40+ years..

 

[Guest]

Sounds an interesting find, I have just ordered some Humbrol Decal fix so I hope this is OK as its the first time I have ever used such a product, as when in my teens I just used water oh how the modeling world has changed in 40+ years..

Humbrol decal fix is good. You can actually use it instead of water, I have. Works great. Doesn't however soften decals much as it's name says it's a fixer not so much a setting agent.


Remember to wipe excess off before it does as o some finished it marks but most settings agents could probably do that as well.

 

[Guest]

Humbrol decal fix is good. You can actually use it instead of water, I have. Works great. Doesn't however soften decals much as it's name says it's a fixer not so much a setting agent.
Remember to wipe excess off before it does as o some finished it marks but most settings agents could probably do that as well.

I normally use water and have had little problems in getting the decal to sink into panel lines etc.


But it depends on the decal. The latest Airfix and Revell have been fine. How ever the Hasegawa


will not respond to any of the Micros. Vallejo Fix did. In other cases including stubborn Airfix Tamiya


and Revell, where the just water has been mostly effective, Micros have saved the silvering day.


It appears Vallejo does the trick in all cases including on a matt paint. The decal I applied last night


on matt paint with Vallejo Fix assistance I have tried to remove with my finger nail and all that it


does is to polish the surface.


The decal has a written text hardly readable but it appears as if it has been written by a


sign writer onto the model.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Could you provide some pics Laurie, like before & after? You know how much I need convincing about Vallejo stuff!


But if it works better than Microsol, I'd be very interested

 

[Guest]

Could you provide some pics Laurie, like before & after? You know how much I need convincing about Vallejo stuff!
But if it works better than Microsol, I'd be very interested

In the process of doing that at the moment Patrick. Takes a time for drying.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

No point in getting together any new decals using Decal Fix and Decal Medium as I am


waiting delivery of the Medium. Will do a full test when it arrives


But here is a picture of what happened when I had problems on the Apache lat night.


First it was coated with 2 coats of Humbrol Clear. Left to dry 2 days. Decals were applied


with just water. Dry they showed not so much awful silvering (there was some)but the


clear bit of the decal. See picture which shows the width of the clear bit.


Tried both Micros. No change. Did not soften at all or take the decal into the undulation


of the fuselage etc. Or get rid of the clear parts of the decal.


Applied Vallejo Decal Fix and the clear edges disappeared as can be seen. Plus the


decal sunk into the deep panel line. Completely. It took the shine from the Humbrol Clear


but as I have experimented another coat puts that right so.


But it was then, the Humbrol coating losing it's shine, I realise this was a process to be


carried out on to matt paint. From what I can make out the medium cleans the surface


and stops air bubbles forming between the decal and paint. We shall see !


View attachment 123946


View attachment 236837

 

[john i am]

Looks good from here and as I almost love vallejo products as much as yourself Laurie I'll be getting some of this magic solution seems to work wonders.


Now you just need to convince that blasphemer Patrick Lol

 

[Guest]

Looks good from here and as I almost love vallejo products as much as yourself Laurie I'll be getting some of this magic solution seems to work wonders.
Now you just need to convince that blasphemer Patrick Lol

Ha-ha tell you what John, buy 2 lots & give me one to test out! maybe you'll make me a Vallejo convert?

 

[Guest]

Looks good from here and as I almost love vallejo products as much as yourself Laurie I'll be getting some of this magic solution seems to work wonders.
Now you just need to convince that blasphemer Patrick Lol

Shall see when I have both products. Looking and reading about it there are


so many conflicting ways to use the product compared to that specified by Vallejo.


They seem to have adopted using the two decal products in different ways.


Patrick has his goat to convince first ( sorry Patrick just me being very naughty).


This is what I hate about myself I apologise for my wrong doings before I have


been accused. I am so honest.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Seems as if Vallejo Decal Fix is a far better product than the Humbrol Decal Fix as I like the way you say the decal actually molds it's self to the aircraft or any thing which has decals on it, I have just ordered a bottle form the Scale Model Shop....now I must close my Pay Pal account as I have spent enough this week Ha Ha Ha

 

[Guest]

Seems as if Vallejo Decal Fix is a far better product than the Humbrol Decal Fix as I like the way you say the decal actually molds it's self to the aircraft or any thing which has decals on it, I have just ordered a bottle form the Scale Model Shop....now I must close my Pay Pal account as I have spent enough this week Ha Ha Ha

Unless your wife gets there first.


Laurie

 

[Guest]

Seems as if Vallejo Decal Fix is a far better product than the Humbrol Decal Fix as I like the way you say the decal actually molds it's self to the aircraft or any thing which has decals on it, I have just ordered a bottle form the Scale Model Shop....now I must close my Pay Pal account as I have spent enough this week Ha Ha Ha

The Humbrol is quite good but it is really only a fixative if that's even a word. Let's the decal slid about. Nice where a less aggressive product isn't required

 

[stona]

You can only make a meaningful comparison between various decal fixing/setting agents using the same decals on the same surface. Anything else is just opinion as decals vary so much.


Cheers


Steve (with his old lab coat on!)

 

[Guest]

You can only make a meaningful comparison between various decal fixing/setting agents using the same decals on the same surface. Anything else is just opinion as decals vary so much.
Cheers


Steve (with his old lab coat on!)

Agree Steve that is what am doing. Plus in various ways as I have now received the missing solution. With my butchers apron on


Laurie

 

[stona]

Not really Laurie. You've tried various solutions on one set of decals on one model. What works for one set of decals may not work for another. The greatest variation is in the decal films, not the model surfaces, though these too vary. One of the things a decent gloss coat will do is make the surfaces more similar but it does nothing for the decal film.


You need to apply decals from various decal sheets, printed on different decal films, to the same surface and then apply the different products. You will inevitably find that some work better than others on different films.


Cheers


Steve